Another assumption of the psychoanalytic explanation of OCD is that regression tend to be a central mechanism in determining the development of obsessive compulsive symptoms. This suggests that an OCD sufferer prevents the associated anxiety by abandoning the genital impulses and regressing to the earlier anal phase instead of repressing that impulse.
This has been said to provide relief as giving up genital urges mean that by giving up genital urges sufferers are no longer confronted with any difficulties led by these urges.
One strength of the psychodynamic model is that it has been supported by considerable research in this area. Evidence from Apter (1997) clearly demonstrated that individuals who had attempted suicide displayed a higher score on several ego defence mechanisms which included regression compared to non-suicidal participants. Given this it can surely be concluded that there is a relationship between anxiety and ego defence mechanisms.
To further support the idea that ego defence mechanisms have a role to play in OCD, evidence of reaction formation was provided by Adams (1996). Adams reported that individuals who were more likely to claim that they were homophobic were those who were aroused by male homosexual sex videos as opposed to those who were not aroused. In this case we could suggest that ego defences were used to reduce anxiety associated with this.
Despite this evidence in support of the psychodynamic model of OCD, there are various limitations accompanied with this explanation. Using the psychoanalytic model it is quite difficult to test for example if an individual has in actual fact regressed to an earlier phase of their development. For this reason this model of OCD can be criticised for being rather unscientific. Surely, other approaches such as behavioural which scientifically test behaviour must be incorporated to gain better explanations of OCD.
Furthermore, the fact that the psychoanalysis therapy can have negative impact on the recovery as argued by Salzman (1980) from OCD further limit’s this approach. On the other hand the effectiveness of the more action orientated short term psychoanalysis greatly contributes in supporting the psychodynamic explanation. For example it has been shown to prevent the urge of thinking too much that is often found in OCD patients.
An alternative explanation of OCD, is the cognitive model. This approach stress that thoughts which are intrusive in nature such as thoughts to kill a person may lead to a development of OCD if they are ignored or dismissed as coined by Baer (2001). According to this model, this thoughts may lead to an anticipation that unpleasant events will occur, therefore a person will indulge in ritual acts in order to neutralise this thoughts. According to various cognitive psychologists, performing ritualistic acts can be addictive, because as time goes by, sufferers fear of this unpleasant thoughts becomes severe which inevitably lead to obsessions.
Similar to the psychodynamic model of OCD, an advantage of the cognitive model comes from the fact that it has also been supported by various evidence. Clark (1992) indicated that OCD sufferers tend to have maladaptive thoughts. Furthermore, Freestone (1992) discovered that OCD patients performed various acts to get rid of their intrusive thoughts. In this view, it appears that the cognitive explanation provides a useful insight into the development of OCD.
In addition it has been argued that since individuals who are at most risk of suffering from an anxiety often develop OCD, it is a reflection that irrational and maladaptive thought are a reaction to their thoughts.
Another strength of cognitive factors when explaining OCD is that unlike the psychodynamic which concentrate on events that occurred in childhood it focuses more on the present which have led to successful therapies. The development of effective cognitive therapy such as habituation training further serve to support the cognitive view.
On the negative side, to say that the cognitive model is a sufficient explanation of OCD is not correct because it fails to tell us if intrusive thoughts are a cause of OCD or a result of it.
Also, suggesting that patients with OCD have maladaptive thoughts blames the individual and ignores the role played by other environmental as well as biological factors in OCD.
